


Clear Eyes, Full Harts

by Sparesmom



Category: Hart to Hart
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 04:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21440545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparesmom/pseuds/Sparesmom
Summary: My own interpretation of the Harts' fateful first meeting
Relationships: Jonathan/Jennifer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Clear Eyes, Full Harts

Clear Eyes, Full Harts  
By Candyce Clanton

How did he let himself get roped into these things Jonathan wondered to himself. He didn’t give interviews, ever, and this was exactly why. The hatchet job that self-righteous gossip columnist had done on him was the reason. All he had done was share a dance with that Danish princess and Ms. Glynnis Smythe-Carrington had written it up like they were engaged. Smythe-Carrington indeed, her name was Gail Smith from Checotah, Oklahoma. She only gave herself airs because she wanted to sound like she belonged with the celebrities she skewered in her column.

Well, he intended to give her editor a piece of his mind. That little write up had cost him his relationship with a very accommodating young lady who thought he was monogamous. As, of course, he was, but after the article appeared, complete with a full-color photo, Ava assumed the worst. It had resulted in a very public break-up at La Scala. He was going to throttle that trumped-up muckraking reporter. Or sue her back to the stone age when he returned to Los Angeles. His head was already throbbing from half a night spent trying to explain the truth to Ava. And then the meeting with Brady Chemical this morning had not gone well. He was so angry that he wasn’t watching where he was going. He came around the corner and barreled straight into the loveliest pair of hazel eyes he’d ever seen.  
Papers flew in every direction as she stumbled and would have fallen if not for his lightning-fast reflexes. He grabbed her by her upper arms and kept her on her feet.  
“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” They both shouted in unison “Me, but you’re the one who… “ The young woman started to laugh and the sweet sound soon had him laughing as well.  
“Who are you here to kill?” She asked him when they had both caught their breath. She started gathering up the blizzard of papers he had knocked from her arms.  
“I beg your pardon?”  
“Well, you’re not here to deliver flowers, not with that look on your face.” She smiled again and he was mesmerized by her eyes. They really were altogether unique and he struggled to define their color.  
They had tiny flecks of gold in them like sunlight on water. That was it, he suddenly thought. Her eyes reminded him of a river. Not wholly green, but not brown either, and with those little specks of gold that made them sparkle so. Jonathan had had enough beautiful women in his bed that he could see that this one was something special. Her work clothes were appropriately modest and her auburn hair was pulled up into a feminine twist but there was an earthy sexuality smoldering in those eyes that made him itch to possess her.  
“Jennifer Edwards." She offered her right hand but he only stared, still taken aback by her looks.  
“Oh, I’m Jonathan, Jonathan Hart.” He stammered at last. This was ridiculous. He was a successful businessman. He was wealthy and good looking, and he never lacked for female companionship. He had judged the Miss Universe Pageant for pete’s sake. He certainly didn’t get tongue-tied around one pretty girl. But sometimes you can look into someone’s eyes and see your whole future no matter how much you may want to deny it. "Would you... umm... would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" He couldn't believe he was stammering and he suddenly noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand. He collected his wits and smiled charmingly at her, "You're so beautiful you made me forget my pickup line."

"I'm sorry but I'm working tonight. I'm in town covering the International Balloon Fiesta and supposedly the twilight glow makes for great photographs."

"Are you a photographer then?" He asked her. Genius question Hart, he thought to himself. Well, so much for impressing her with your brains.

"Actually, I'm a reporter from New York, my paper sent me down here to cover the festival because I take my own photos." Damn, another reporter. And she was so intriguing too. Oh well, she had turned him down and he had no interest in pursuing a reporter. He helped her finish gathering her papers rather more brusquely than necessary and left her with a short goodbye.

He circled the parking lot twice looking for his Mercedes before he remembered Max had dropped him off and taken the rental car to get gas. Geez man, get it together. She wasn't that pretty. His tastes ran more to petite, doe-eyed brunettes. Miss Edwards wasn't at all what he pictured in those paint-by-number dreams of his future. Too tall, too wholesome-all-American-girl. And definitely too redheaded. Max's first wife was a redhead and if she was any indication, they were too crazy for him. He took enough risks at work, he didn't need a crazy wife upsetting his home life too. Whoa, wife? Where had that come from?

He spotted Max pulling up in the rented Jaguar and determined to put the delightful Jennifer Edwards out of his mind. It proved more difficult than he imagined, those eyes haunted him all afternoon.

"Hey, Mr. H. I asked if you want I should order some dinner?" 

"Max, what do you know about hot air ballooning?" Jonathan sounded pensive, still lost in a pair of moss-colored eyes.

"You mean like in the sky? I'm not so thrilled about flying."  
"Why not?"  
"It's high."  
"Bring the car around, We're going to a balloon festival." Jonathan wasn't entirely sure what he expected at a balloon festival but a hundred thousand people milling around the flight field was certainly more than he anticipated. The amorphous crowd engulfed him and the more he struggled to move through it the tighter it pressed against him. How would he find Jennifer in this mob? Just then he spotted an announcer's booth with a portable antenna raised high above it and started elbowing his way through the crowd toward it.  
"I need you to page Jennifer Edwards, please." He told the man with the microphone.  
"Is it an emergency?" The young man asked in a bored tone of voice. Jonathan peeled a few bills from his wallet and handed them over.  
"What was that name again? Jennifer Edwards, please meet your party at the KRQE broadcast booth."  
By the time she made her way to the antenna, Jonathan had almost managed to convince himself that her eyes couldn't possibly be as remarkable as he remembered. It was probably a trick of the light that had made them seem to sparkle, nobody really had eyes like that. When she arrived he realized he was wrong. If anything they were even more brilliant than his memory.  
"Mr. Hart, how nice to see you again."  
"Miss Edwards, have you ever been up in one of these contraptions?" Jonathan asked without preamble and jerked his chin at the field full of giant colorful balloons.  
"I'm afraid my per diem only covers food and lodging, Mr. Hart" She smiled at him and suddenly her teasing manners, that would annoy him coming from anyone else, seemed endearing from her.  
"I understand the best photographs are taken from the air. Come on." He started across the field without looking to see if she was following. After a minute or two, he glanced at his phone and began moving left. Jennifer trotted to keep up with his purposeful stride while carrying her camera and messenger bag. The sun was getting lower and she hoped that whatever he was up to would be worth it. He finally came to a stop in front of a yellow balloon with a large basket and 'Rainbow Riders' emblazoned on the side. The pilot opened the gate and ushered them aboard, lifting off once it was secured behind them. 

"I'm afraid the breeze is picking up, Mr. Hart. We won't be able to stay up for too long." The pilot told them. Jennifer delightedly snapped dozens of photos as they ascended, trying to catch the light. A sudden loud pop behind her made her jump until she realized that Jonathan had opened a bottle of champagne and was filling a pair of flutes. The balloons massed on the ground were disappearing in the gathering dusk but then one after another they began to light up.

"That's the twilight glow" Their pilot explained. "The pilots on the ground fire their burners to make the balloons glow. It's beautiful from the ground but up here is the best way to really see it." They were high enough to see the entire field. The twinkling lights followed no discernible pattern but there seemed to be a certain musicality to it and several times it looked like nearly every balloon on the field lit up at once.  
At one point the lights, which had been burning for ten to thirty seconds at a time, suddenly began to stutter on and off rapidly. The field looked like a giant set of twinkle lights and the pilot explained that it was called a flicker. The radio stations held fundraisers where anyone could request a flicker by making a donation to charity. The radio hosts would announce the donation over the loudspeakers and all the pilots on the field would toggle their burners rapidly to create the flickering effect. Most donations were twenty or thirty dollars but the larger the donation the longer the flicker would last. It was surprisingly warm in the basket because of the burner but she was grateful when Jonathan draped his jacket around her shoulders as the breeze turned chillier. "We'll have to land now folks, the fireworks show will be starting soon."  
No one was more surprised than Jennifer when she impulsively turned and gave Jonathan a kiss. Such spontaneous displays were out of character for her but she was so moved by the beauty of the evening and the effort he had gone to in order to arrange it for her. He took her by the upper arms again and held the kiss. He didn't try to deepen it even though her lips were slightly parted. He just held her close and kissed her slow and sweet. She just didn't know what to think about him. The press made him out to be such a playboy. Most recently the internet had been buzzing about his dalliance with a Danish princess, but this didn't feel like just another conquest for him. It seemed like the simplest thing in the world to do. She kissed him. And the world cracked open for both of them and they would never be the same. "Have dinner with me." From anyone else, his words would have sounded like a command and she would have shut them down immediately but somehow he made it feel like a plea and she found herself nodding her agreement. She expected him to take her to Ruth's Chris or some fancy nightclub but he surprised her once again. He took her to the Route 66 Diner with genuine Formica tables and the most delicious milkshakes she had ever tasted.  
"Do you spend a lot of time in New Mexico?" She asked curiously.  
"This is my first visit. Why do you ask?"  
"I'm puzzled. You seem to know the city pretty good for someone who's never been here before."  
"Well, I have to admit I asked our pilot where I should take a lady if I wanted to make a good impression. He recommended this place." Jonathan looked almost shy suddenly and busied himself with the tabletop jukebox.  
"You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma, Mr. Hart. And as much as I hate to malign my colleagues in the fourth estate, the press makes you out to be such a playboy but I don't get that impression at all. So what are you doing in Albuquerque?"  
"I had a business meeting this afternoon about a possible acquisition. There's a company here that makes a component we use in our chemical division. It makes more sense to buy the company rather than keep paying exorbitant fees. Do you like sailing?" If his sudden change of subject startled her she didn't let on.

"I learned to sail in my father's bass boat, and I like canoeing. But if you mean sailing like on a yacht or something then I don't know, I've never been."

"No yachts I'm afraid. I have a 50-foot schooner that I like to take to Catalina on occasion. This weekend is probably the last time I will be able to take it out for the season and I wondered if you would like to join me?"

"As lovely as that sounds, I'm afraid I am returning to New York the day after tomorrow. I am expected back at work on Monday and I need to write up this feature between now and then." She sounded genuinely regretful and somehow he didn't want things to end so quickly with her.

"I have my Gulfstream here. What if we fly to L.A. tomorrow, we'll go sailing, then I'll fly you to New York on Sunday. I have a meeting on the East Coast on Tuesday anyway. It's no trouble to fly out a day early. You can write your story on the plane. I promise not to disturb you." He gave her his most charming smile and she was seized by a desire to say yes. She wasn't normally so impulsive but she wanted to get to know him better. He wasn't anything like she would have expected and her reporter's curiosity was piqued. His East Coast meeting was a subterfuge but he couldn't bear to say goodbye to her so quickly.

"Alright, Mr. Hart... Jonathan. It sounds like fun." 

Jonathan kept his promise not to disturb her on the plane. He gave her his desk and helped her sign into the wifi then moved about halfway down the cabin and disappeared behind his newspaper. Even though she couldn't see him he might as well have been sitting next to her. She couldn't focus on her assignment. She kept remembering the way he looked at her in the diner, his ocean eyes on her. The way he listened. He had admired her body, of course. She'd be hurt if he hadn't, but he didn't stare. 

She decided to take a chance. Elliott had hurt her badly but she didn't think Jonathan would ever treat her like that. Even though she had only known him for a short time there was something honorable about him that inspired trust. She opened the music app on her computer and took a deep breath before she walked over to where he sat with his pile of newspapers. 

"Do you like to dance, Mr. Hart?" She asked him.

"I do with the right partner, Miss Edwards." He smiled at her. She really was charming him with this teasing formality and he stood as Al Jarreau began to sing After All. Years later they would both call this the moment they began to fall in love, dancing their way through her playlist as the Gulfstream carried them across the country. Time and distance had no meaning, nothing would separate them. Because they knew. It was right.

"I have to ask you a question." He was holding her close, looking into her eyes.

"It's called heterochromia, it's genetic. My mother had the same eyes." Her tone of voice indicated it was a question she had answered a thousand times before.

"That's lovely to know, but I was going to ask what your feelings are regarding ice cream. Because I'm hungry" As if to emphasize his point he bent his head to nibble at her throat.

"If you kiss my neck I'm not responsible for what happens next." She whispered tilting her head back even further for him. "I don't know why this feels less like getting to know you and more like remembering someone I've loved in another life." 

Just then Max came back into the cabin to let them know Frank would be landing at LAX in a few minutes. In a way, Jonathan was glad for the interruption. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted a woman and he was certain she wanted him too but he already understood that she was going to be too important to rush into things. She wasn't his first kiss, or even his first lover, but she was the one who mattered. He already knew he didn't want to kiss anyone else ever again. 

Jennifer wasn't looking for a boyfriend. She'd had enough of immature men who thought that sex equaled intimacy. Men who would praise her body in detail but couldn't identify even one of her dreams. She wanted a man who would meet her emotional needs, not just her physical desires. Someone to warm her bed and touch her like it was agony not to, but she needed more than that. She wanted a man who would walk into her heart like he had always belonged there, who lit her soul on fire. Jonathan's touch felt like stars were dancing on her skin. And when they danced it was as if she was made to fit inside his arms.

Jennifer felt like she was flying as the sailboat raced across the waves. Jonathan had given her a crash course in handling the sails and wheel as they left the harbor then he turned the Romance into the wind. Catalina was six hours away with a stiff easterly breeze chasing them all the way.

"Have you ever played Would You Rather?" He asked once they were out of sight of land.

"Is it anything like Cards Against Humanity?"

"We don't have enough people for Cards Against Humanity. In Would You Rather we take turns asking each other questions that offer two possible answers. You can only answer with a single word. For example, would you rather have a steak or Mexican food?"

"Mexican. My turn, would you rather see a movie or live theater?" She grinned, quickly getting into the spirit of the game.

"Theater. Dogs or cats?" 

"Dogs. Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Vanilla. Rock or classical?"

"Country. Bath or shower?" Her rapid-fire question was interrupted by his stunned look.

"You listen to country music? Wait, you said Der Ring des Nibelungen was your favorite opera."

"It is." 

"So, you like opera well enough to have a favorite, Wagner of all things, you're from New York, and you're a fan of... what, Blake Shelton?"

"Actually, I prefer Chris LeDoux." She informed him with a teasing smile. "I'm a traditionalist. And I'm not from New York, I work in New York. I'm from Maryland, I grew up on a horse farm in Hill Haven. At least I did until my mother died when I was twelve and I went away to prep school in Massachusetts." He caught a lingering sadness in those extraordinary eyes and quickly changed the subject.

"I just figured out where I am going to take you for our third date" he announced. "Are you a fan of Lorene Tyler?"

"I am. But I didn't know she was touring now." Jennifer was a little surprised that he was familiar with Lorene Tyler. He gave off more of a classic rock vibe.

"She's not on tour. She's under contract to our music division. How  
would you like to see a recording session?" He spoke casually and even though Jennifer knew he was speaking of the royal 'we', she still felt a small shiver of happiness down her spine at the way he said our music division. It made her feel like a part of his world and for the first time, she realized that she wanted to be involved in his life. More than anything she suddenly hoped that they would be more than just a weekend. It felt like they were written in the stars and she hoped they wouldn't turn out to only be written in sand.

"I'd like that very much." She spoke softly and Jonathan looked again at those eyes, wondering what was going on behind them. He wished he could bottle the way she looked at him. He had loved before but it never felt like this. Before Jennifer, kisses didn't burn him alive. The space between them exploded and his hands couldn't bring her close enough. He tasted her lips and suddenly realized he had been starving for her forever.

Chapter Three

They dropped anchor in Big Fisherman's Cove to the west of the island. Tomorrow he would take her around to Avalon Bay on the east side. Avalon had all of the good restaurants and other touristy activities but today he wanted to spend alone with her. It was crazy how strong the connection was between them, and how fast it was happening. From the first moment they touched, her arms felt like home and he already knew he never wanted to be without her again.

Jonathan had fishing equipment on board but it hadn't seen much use. Fishing was too passive for him, and he didn't enjoy sitting still for any length of time. He pulled the rods and nets out because Jennifer wanted to try fishing for the yellowfin tuna this region was known for and he resigned himself to a certain amount of boredom. To his great surprise, he glanced at his watch a few minutes later to discover that more than three hours had passed. They had been so busy talking that he hadn't even noticed the afternoon's passing.

As the sun dropped lower in the sky he brought the little hibachi grill out onto the deck and grilled fresh tuna steaks with a little lemon and garlic. Jennifer gratefully left the cooking to him as it was not a skill she had ever managed to acquire.She poured all of her creativity into writing and dancing. As much as she loved to eat good food she had little interest in learning to prepare it. They sat talking under the stars until the small hours of the morning before Jonathan showed her to the forward guest cabin and left her with a sweet forehead kiss goodnight.

Jennifer watched him retreat down the passageway into his own cabin before she closed her door quietly behind her. She was tempted to follow him back to the master suite. It was out of character for her to even consider such a thing but there was something about him that made her want more. It wasn't even about sex. Well, not entirely about sex, she admitted to herself with a smile. Something about the way he moved, whether he was cooking or fishing or dancing, that made her suspect he would be an excellent lover. But that gentle kiss on her forehead was what had really touched her.

From the moment he had invited her she'd expected that he wanted to sleep with her. When he had kissed her so sweetly and left her in her own room he added another layer to the growing affection she felt for him. He was a man she could trust. Ever since Elliott had tried to break her heart she'd thought she was lost, wondering if she was capable of loving again. But now she knew her heart wasn't lost, it had just been searching for Jonathan. Impulsively she opened her door and hurried down the passage before she talked herself out of it. When she tapped lightly on his door he opened it within seconds, almost as if he had been waiting for her.

"I don't know why I came..." She started to try to explain but for once her writer's brain failed her. She couldn't make sense of her jumbled thoughts, all she could do was stand mute and pray he would understand. He saw the chaos in her expressive eyes and pulled her into his arms.

"I would give up the world to feel you sleeping in my lonely arms tonight. Trust me, Darling." He liked the way the endearment tasted so he said it again. "My Darling." He took her by the shoulders and led her to the king-size bed. When he had commissioned the Romance the plans called for a double bed but he had specifically requested alterations to make room for the bigger one. He had faith that one day the right woman would come along to share it with him.

Jennifer couldn't know it, but he had never brought a woman onto his boat, never shared this bed with anyone. It had been his refuge from the world, the place that quieted his soul. Somehow, he knew that, with no effort at all, Jennifer would be that place for him now. That in her arms was where his soul would find rest.

He tucked a pillow behind his back and leaned against the headboard. She burrowed straight into his arms without hesitation and looked up at him. The fiery sparks in her eyes drowned in the cool, blue oceans of his.

"Ssh... sleep now. We'll talk tomorrow. Soon, when we are ready, I will kiss down the curves of your body. I'll make roads to the secret places, and find the doors that only whispers can open. My lips will be the keys that unlock your heart." With his soft voice murmuring to her, words of love and safety, she fell asleep in his arms. Jonathan held her through the night, not sleeping until dawn was creeping over the horizon but he decided what he needed to do. And eventually, his mind made up, he too slept, lulled by the quiet hum of her breath on his chest and the warm, sleepy scent of her wrapping him in comfort.  
The sun was high above the mast when she awoke to those serene blue eyes watching her. She yawned behind her hand and stretched luxuriously. She hadn't spent the night with a man since she and Elliott had split almost a year ago but even before it had gone so wrong with them she hadn't slept so well as she had last night.

"You're staring at me." He liked the way her voice sounded, all relaxed and happy.

"I like looking at you. I could watch a million sunrises and never see one as beautiful as your eyes slowly opening in the morning. I mean, coffee is all well and good but I would rather taste your lips kissing me awake each morning." He was treated to another of her radiant smiles, liking the way his words alluded to a future together.

They sailed to the eastward side of the island and had lunch at The Sandtrap. Jennifer was expecting seafood based on the name and she was pleasantly surprised to discover genuine hole-in-the-wall-Mexican food, more proof that Jonathan had been listening to her when they played Would You Rather yesterday. Sitting in the small cafe, dining on tortas and quesadillas the talk drifted around to exes. Jonathan told her about Nikki Stephanos and after a pause, she told him about Elliott.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." He said sincerely. His relationship with Nikki had ended amicably when they both acknowledged that they weren't meant to be, and they remained friends to this day. Jennifer's split with Elliott was ugly enough that she had avoided another relationship until now. "You didn't deserve that."

"Yes, I did. I think part of me knew he was cheating but I buried my head in the sand. I tolerated it because I thought that if I just showed him how much I loved him then eventually he would love me the same way. I put up with it for far too long before I finally realized that what I felt wasn't love, just some pale, weak-tea imitation. If I had the guts to leave right away I would have saved us both a lot of aggravation."

"Jennifer, a man doesn't cheat because he doesn't feel loved enough at home. They cheat because they feel entitled, because they don't have enough respect for themselves or their partner. Elliott would never have loved you the way you needed to be loved because he only cared about himself. If he truly loved you he wouldn't have dishonored your relationship by cheating on you. And that's his loss. But I guess I can't be too upset with the man, if he had been any kind of decent boyfriend then you wouldn't be sitting here having lunch with me."  
Chapter Four  
For dessert, they went to Lloyd's of Avalon for chocolate chip ice cream cones then strolled along the beach holding hands. Jennifer asked him about growing up in the orphanage. But this was one subject where Jonathan's stories were all superficial and lighthearted, and she backed off when she saw that he wasn't comfortable talking about it. Instead, she told him about her horse, Sweet Sue, and growing up in Maryland.

She spoke about her mother lovingly and admitted that as hard as the loss had been for her, it was nothing compared to how devastating it had been for her father. At twelve she had resented being sent away to boarding school but as she grew up she was better able to understand that Stephen was too crushed under his own grief to care for his pre-teen daughter. That sending her away to school had ensured that she would be surrounded by friends who could lift her spirits and provide the female influence she would need.

The friends she had made at Gresham Hall still remained close. Evangeline, who had risen to become Chief of U.S. Missions at the American embassy in Paris, flew back every fall, splitting the difference between Jennifer's birthday on the second and her own on the sixth just like they always had at school. And every year they renewed their promise to stand as maid of honor for each other when they married. Jennifer could see now that everything that had happened, good and bad, had conspired to bring her to that office building in Albuquerque, and if she pulled a single thread she might not be here now, walking on the beach with this wonderful man.

"Jennifer, if I asked you to, would you wear something special to dinner tonight?"

"What is it?"

"This." Jonathan removed the gold signet ring from his pinky and slid it onto Jennifer's ring finger. "We'll design a proper engagement ring when we get back to Los Angeles but I don't want to go another day without knowing that you'll be mine. Jennifer Edwards, will you marry me?" The heavy gold twisted loosely on her slender finger.

"Nice fit." She said sweetly. "What is this symbol?" She turned the ring so that the oversized emblem was visible.

"It's a Tree of Life. It's a symbol of fresh starts and bright futures, which makes it quite appropriate for this occasion."

"But Jonathan, you hardly know me. We've only been together for four days."

"I know everything I need to. You are kind and loving and when I'm not with you I feel like I can't breathe. It may be that I could go on living without you. I just wouldn't want to. I want to spend my life kissing your wine-stained lips. I want to look at you and get lost in those whiskey-honey eyes. Magic can't be explained, you just feel it. I want to be with you. It's just as simple and as complicated as that."

Jennifer pondered his words, staring at the bulky ring on her hand. This was a level of impulsivity even she had never considered. And yet, something about it felt right. Everything in her wanted to say yes, but a tiny voice in her head questioned whether they could really build a successful marriage on so small a foundation. Her love of country music had surprised him. How would he feel when he discovered that she went total, full-on fangirl about Supernatural? Or when they had a fight and he got a good look at her temper? Her mother had always called her a firebrand for the way her temper matched her flaming hair. She had worked hard over the years to tame it but she was still capable of a nuclear meltdown if she was provoked hard enough.

When she and Elliott had their last big fight she'd thrown a marble ashtray at him. Fortunately, it sailed harmlessly past his head to break against the doorframe, falling to the floor in three massive chunks. It was that move that finally convinced Elliott to leave her apartment, only a few minutes before she broke down entirely, sobbing on the bed for most of the night. She was angry at herself for the breakdown and promised herself that she would never again give so much of herself to a man that he would have the power to make her cry. The only problem was that she suspected Jonathan might be the only man worthy of her tears, simply because he would never make her cry.

And Jonathan had grown up in an orphanage, essentially having dozens of big brothers and sisters. He'd learned how to tease the way siblings often did. But only child Jennifer had never had a sibling type relationship so when his little jokes and mannerisms began she often took them seriously, becoming irrationally angry with him. She had enough self-awareness to acknowledge that he would have his hands full if he married her. Her head made a dozen rational arguments about why they shouldn't get married. And to each carefully reasoned point, her heart answered simply that she loved him. She knew that when she married she intended it to be forever. She wanted a marriage as strong and loving as her parents' had been.

"Marriage is such an important step." She told him now. "What if you decide next week that you've met someone you like better? What if you can't stand my snoring? Or if my work takes me away on assignment?"

"I will not find anyone better because I'm not perfect. Neither are you, but we two imperfect people fit together perfectly. I'm not normally an impulsive person, I've never been married or engaged before but I know enough to be certain that we belong together and neither one of us will ever be happy with anyone else. And I held you in my arms all night while you slept last night so I can tell you definitively that you do not snore. You do make the sweetest little snuffles when you dream but that is nothing more than heavy breathing. As for your work, I want you to do whatever you want to. Of course, it would be nice if you could be based out of Los Angeles because I really love my house, our house, but if you want to stay on the east coast I can move my base of operations easily."

He reasoned away her hesitations so easily. It was clear that he was determined. Normally she would bristle at being handled, but with Jonathan, she felt cherished not constrained.

"Say yes," he cajoled her gently. "I promise I will spend my life making you happy."

"I don't know if I can ever fit into a millionaire's life," she worried. Jonathan didn't seem to be overly involved in a jet-set lifestyle, but he flew all over the world in his own jet and he had this beautiful boat. "I don't think I can be one of those women who spend their days at the spa or doing lunch at the latest 'in' spot solely to be seen by the paparazzi."

"Darling, If I wanted one of those women I wouldn't be here with you. I love your drive and your heart to make the world a better place. I may not always love the dangerous situations you will be in but I promise to talk with you about it and I will never try to clip your wings. I always said that I wouldn't marry until I was certain it would last forever, and I have never felt that with any other woman I've met. I do feel it with you. I can see us walking together just like this when that gorgeous red hair of yours has turned silver, and sitting in our matching rocking chairs wintering in Cancun. I see a future with you, and it's a future I want with my whole heart." Jonathan closed the distance between them and grasped her shoulders in the way she was coming to understand was a Jonathan Hart signature and she could see the future he was describing. She wanted that, the winters in Cancun, the quiet evenings on the couch together, even the grey hair and wrinkles, as long as they were together.

"Yes." Her voice was strong and clear and her luminous smile told him everything he needed to know. His hands tightened on her shoulders, almost to the point of pain, but she barely noticed as he looked into those amazing eyes. She felt like he was looking right into her soul.

"You're mine. I can never resist how your eyes speak to me... and right now they are whispering 'kiss me'." His earlier tender kisses bore no resemblance to this naked desire as his lips devoured hers. This kiss was demanding, a wildfire consuming her. He tasted of whiskey and dark chocolate and she could feel his desire as he pulled her even closer. She pressed the length of her body against him, suddenly eager to feel his hands on her skin. She wished she was wearing some fabulous gown and the sexy underthings that went with it instead of jeans and sneakers.  
Chapter Five  
"Dance with me, Darling. Let's dance like we did on the plane." He swept her into a waltz and she hummed the first few bars of an accompaniment. "That's lovely, what is it? Will you sing it for me?" She paused for a moment, she didn't usually sing for anyone else, but then, Jonathan had her doing a lot of out of character things. She took a deep breath and began again.

"I got a funny feeling  
the moment that your lips touched mine  
something shot right through me  
my heart skipped a beat in time  
There's a different feel about you tonight  
It's got me thinking lots of crazy things  
I even think I saw a flash of light  
it felt like electricity  
You shouldn't kiss me like this  
unless you mean it like that  
because I'll just close my eyes  
and I won't know where I'm at  
We'll get lost on this dance floor spinning around  
and around and around and around  
They're all watching us now  
they think we're falling in love  
They'd never believe we're just friends  
When you kiss me like this  
I think you mean it like that  
If you do Baby, kiss me again  
Everybody swears we make a perfect pair  
but dancing is as far as it goes  
Girl, you've never moved me  
quite the way you moved me tonight  
I just wanted you to know  
I just wanted you to know  
You shouldn't kiss me like this  
unless you mean it like that  
because I'll just close my eyes  
and I won't know where I'm at  
We'll get lost on this dance floor spinning around  
and around and around and around  
They're all watching us now  
they think we're falling in love  
They'd never believe we're just friends  
When you kiss me like this  
I think you mean it like that  
If you do Baby, kiss me again"

"That was amazing." He said when she finished. "I do mean it like that and I want to kiss you again and again and again. I want to spend the rest of my life kissing you. I should have found you when you were fifteen so I could have been your first kiss, your only kiss."

"Oh, you could have waited several more years and still been that." She laughed. "I was rather a late bloomer. My first serious kiss wasn't until I was 19." He looked doubtfully at her, clearly not believing her words.

Getting ready to go to dinner she worried about the loose ring slipping off her hand. She finally resorted to an old schoolgirl trick to keep it safely on her finger, wrapping the inside with dental floss, sealing it with clear nail polish to make it sure it remained securely in place. They dined at the Avalon Grille where she started with the prosciutto flatbread and he ordered the ahi tuna before they shared a chateaubriand for two and a slice of lemon cheesecake. After dinner, he offered to take her dancing at the Chi Chi Club to work off their meal but she wasn't interested in any more people.

"I'd like to go back to the boat if it's alright with you. I'd like to be alone with you." There were equal parts sweetness and temptress in her voice. Her eyes were innocent demons playing recklessly with matches and Jonathan had never seen sparks so pretty. When they returned to the slip where the Romance was docked Jonathan decided to use the last hour of daylight to move the boat out to the mouth of the harbor, giving them an illusion of privacy. They could see the lights of the city laid out across the harbor like stars thrown down from the heavens.

Jennifer had disappeared after helping him stow the sails for the night. At first, he expected her to return but when he realized that nearly 15 minutes had passed with no sign of her he went belowdecks in search of her. She wasn't in her cabin or the head and his heart was beating so loud he could almost hear it as he approached the door of his cabin. It swung open at his touch. Jennifer was posed seductively on the big bed wearing his white pajama top. The top two buttons were undone, leaving it open enough for him to see the shadow of her breasts in the low light from the bedside sconces. Her cell phone glowed from the top of the dresser, playing the same playlist they had danced to on the jet.

She tried to calm the butterflies that danced in her stomach at the way he looked at her. Jonathan would never hurt her, she knew that irrefutably, but it had been a long time since she had been with a man. And sex had never been a big deal for her anyway. That was the excuse Elliott had given for cheating on her. He said she wasn't woman enough to keep him satisfied. She liked sex well enough she supposed, and Jonathan certainly looked at her with desire. She was a little bit nervous, even though she had seen for herself that he wasn't the playboy the press made him out to be. But he was still a virile, attractive man. Would he stray as Elliott had when he found out she wasn't interested enough in sex?

Jonathan's eyes were twin blue flames, burning her up in his gaze. How could she have known that first tiny spark would spread like a wildfire? He hadn't even touched her yet and already she was trembling. He sat beside her on the soft duvet, his hand moving slowly up her ankle, her calf, the back of her knee. He stroked her skin reverently, an acolyte worshipping his goddess. The fire in his eyes came through his fingertips to leave scorching lines of pleasure on her body. He didn't rush to find those parts of her that had remained hidden like he was checking them off of some mental list. Breast, check. Inner thigh, check. Jonathan seemed just as happy gently rubbing her foot as he would be at her breast, and bit by bit she began to crave more.

Her body was a flower opening to the sun. She relaxed into his tender touch, needing more. She wasn't aware that her eyes were half-closed. That her head had dropped back, exposing her throat with its racing pulse thrumming under her skin. She couldn't see the flush of desire creeping across her body, or the way her legs had begun to shift, her feet rubbing together. He moved his hands to hers. A slow, sensual massage, stroking each finger with his warm hands and raining hot, open-mouthed kisses on her knuckles. The water lapping against the hull was the metronome of his touch and the sound became its own seduction. She wanted him to take her and make love to her in time to that soft lullaby.

Suddenly, the night air was rent by two sharp cracks and Jonathan leaped up. He had dragged his jeans back on and was moving to the doorway before her brain had even registered the loss of his touch.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." Her soon-to-be lover had transformed into a grim-faced protector in the blink of an eye and she could barely comprehend the change. He grabbed a small, lethal-looking, black pistol from the drawer and started out the door. At the last second, he turned back to her and flashed a seductive smile. "Wait for me. And hold that thought." Then he was gone. Cowering in a bedroom and missing the action would never be her so she jumped up and slithered into her own jeans almost as fast as he had. She was up the stairs in a flash, pausing just a moment at the top to look around before stepping out.

Jonathan was crouched near the aft railing looking across the dark water. The same water that had seemed so seductive less than two minutes ago was now somehow menacing. She felt exposed and ran towards Jonathan at a crouch, a skill she had learned during her time embedded with a team of Marines in Afghanistan. The gunfire in itself didn't frighten her, but the thought of losing Jonathan was terrifying. The shots didn't repeat but there was a soft splash slightly to the northwest of them as if something heavy was pushed overboard. She touched Jonathan's arm and he quickly held a finger to his lips. Sounds could travel incredible distances across water but she didn't need his warning.

She pointed at her eyes and then at a spot slightly left of where he had been searching. I saw something over there she informed him silently. He nodded proudly at her, impressed at how cool she remained, and followed her pointing finger to see a boat-shaped shadow in the water. The night was moonless and without running lights, the small skiff was visible more by the absence of light than anything they could actually see. Jonathan put his lips very near to her ear and then further contained the sound by cupping his hands around them.

"I think we stumbled into a drug deal gone wrong." His voice was the barest whisper tickling her ear. "Stay out of sight. Hopefully, they will assume that we are still out at a nightclub. If they don't know we're aboard they may just pass us by. We can radio the coast guard once they've gone." He was impressed at how cool she was under pressure. He palmed his Sig and flicked the safety off as quietly as possible. The click sounded deafening in the silence and they both listened intently to hear if the sound had given them away.

"There's a pump-action shotgun in the storage locker near the wheel. Can you get to it without being seen?" He whispered through his cupped hands. "Do you know how to handle a shotgun?"

"My granddaddy taught me to use his12 gauge when I was ten." She whispered back, copying his trick of cupping her hands around his ear so the sound didn't travel beyond the two of them. She scanned the darkness, at one point closing her eyes to concentrate more fully on her ears. Once she was certain it was safe she made her way across to the wheel and retrieved the shotgun from the storage cabinet. She wanted to chamber a round but she couldn't risk the distinctive sound carrying across the water. She had to trust Jonathan's word that it was clean and ready to go.

The sound of the skiff was getting louder as it neared the Romance. Jonathan watched carefully through the railing, looking for any sign that the pilot of the smaller boat was paying undue attention to the Romance as they passed it. The minutes ticked by slowly as the skiff drifted past. The Romance had her running lights on and a couple of nightlights on the deck just as Jonathan would have left it if they were still dancing in the nightclub. It looked like any other boat slumbering at the mouth of the harbor.

Chapter Six  
Meeting with the Coast Guard and local police took far longer than either of them would have liked. The sun was fully up by the time they were finally finished making their statements and going through mugshots, then Jennifer had to call her paper to let them know she would be detained in California during the investigation. She was able to promise them a detailed story on the drug trade once everything was wrapped up so they weren't too upset.

Jonathan wanted desperately to return to the boat and pick up where they left off but somehow it didn't seem like the gentlemanly thing to suggest so instead he offered to take her to lunch. Jennifer was disappointed that he didn't want to take her back to bed. Maybe Elliott was right and she wasn't sexy enough to keep a man's interest. She was too yielding earlier, she should have been more assertive. The way he had been looking in her eyes, she had thought they had a real connection. But she'd be damned if she would fake it, no matter how much she wanted this to work out.

"Darling, you're awfully quiet. Are you feeling alright?" He asked her tenderly. Even out of sorts, she was still the loveliest woman he'd ever seen. She smiled briefly but he noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "Jennifer, please tell me what's wrong. If we are going to be married we have to be honest and open with each other. I love you, and I can't bear to see you unhappy. It's awfully hard for two people to make love with a wall between them." He sounded lost and Jennifer looked up in surprise.

"Make love? You mean you still... you're not... " She stopped and looked down at her lap and Jonathan struggled to hear her next words. "I thought you didn't want me after last night."

"Jennifer, Darling. Last night was amazing. I'm only sorry we were interrupted. You looked so sexy in my pajamas, I've never been so jealous of a piece of clothing in all my life. Every time I wear them now I will remember how they looked on you. And the way you let me touch you, like we had all the time in the world to make love. Like there was no need to hurry because we can spend the rest of our lives on this journey. I haven't thought of anything else all morning."

"You didn't think that I was too cold... or not sexy enough?" She wasn't smiling yet but her voice no longer sounded as withdrawn as it did before.

"Let me guess. Elliott?" He wanted to punch the man for making this amazing woman doubt herself in any way. Last night, crouched on the deck of the Romance he had been so impressed by her steady nerves and how she handled herself. And before that, in his cabin. She had been brave enough to make the first move while he had been stalling up on deck. She looked so gentle, innocent even, but she loved with every cell in her body. That much was obvious by the way she spoke about her parents. "Darling, there is nothing cold about you. I want to spend the rest of my life standing beside the fire that burns inside you. I noticed your eyes when we met. When we danced on the jet, I yearned for your body. But last night I fell in love with your beautiful, warrior soul."

"Where have you been all of my life?" She marveled. With just a few short sentences he quieted all her demons.

"Becoming the person you needed me to be. Sometimes when you look at me I can see the hint of something more. When our eyes meet I feel this instant connection and no one else can see it but us. I like that, it's our own little secret. And your eyes are so beautiful, I just want to get lost in them forever because in that silence is when you say the most. Everything I have ever wanted is there in your eyes."

"Jonathan, let's go back to the boat. It's been a long day and I'd like one of those hugs that turn into sex." The smile that lit her eyes wasn't half-hearted at all and Jonathan quickly called for the check. It was a small island and the walk back to the dock only took about fifteen minutes but to Jonathan, it felt like hours. He couldn't believe how much he wanted her. He hadn't exaggerated about loving the warrior queen in her.

The first second he'd spotted her coming up out of the stairwell he'd been furious that she hadn't listened to his admonition to stay below. Then he had seen how skillfully she made her way across the deck and even that she had taken the time to remove the bright white pajama top and put on a dark tee-shirt. Although not a bra, he'd noticed with a smile. She hadn't made a sound and she handled the shotgun like a pro. He knew she had been embedded with the Marines but until last night he hadn't really appreciated how dangerous the assignment must have been. She didn't acquire skills like that at any Camp Cupcake.

They took a water taxi back to the Romance, and Jonathan tipped the pilot an extra twenty to open the throttle. Captain Kevin was used to tourists being in a hurry but this couple seemed nice and they were clearly very much in love. They barely looked away from each other during the entire ten-minute journey across the harbor. He had glanced up once to catch a glimpse of the sweet young woman looking at her fella with such naked longing on her face that it made the old pilot yearn to be home with his own woman. He'd been married to Jeannie for more than thirty years but in his eyes, she was just as young and beautiful as when she'd been this girl's age. He decided to call it a day after this. His son Wes could handle the rest of the day and it had been too long since he and Jeannie had spent the afternoon wrapped in a blanket on the back porch swing.  
"Give me a five-minute head start," Jennifer whispered with a kiss on Jonathan's ear as he helped her step from the water taxi onto the Romance's deck. She paused long enough to say goodbye to Captain Kevin and when she reached to shake his hand a pair of twenties passed from her hand to his along with a radiant smile. "You take Miss Jeannie to dinner, she sounds like a wonderful woman." She told him.  
When Jonathan followed her into the cabin exactly four and a half minutes later he found her sitting on the edge of his bed, still fully dressed and additionally wearing a worried expression. As he stepped into the room to find out what was wrong, he spotted the man in the corner. The man who was nearly as recognizable to Californians as Jonathan himself. The man who was currently pointing Jonathan's Sig Sauer at Jennifer's midsection. Ismael "El Mayo" Garcia was the rumored head of the Sinaloa cartel. Most of the illegal fentanyl in the United States had passed through his bloody hands at some point.

"Mr. Hart, so nice to meet you. I was just discussing my travel plans with your charming companion here. You see, there was an attempt on my life two days ago and I was forced to flee my homeland without the time to make appropriate arrangements. The architect of the attack was one of my top Capos in Baja, soon to be the late Rafael Guzman. I can't be suspected of the murder if no one knows I'm in the country. And that is where you come in Mr. Hart. Your little boat here isn't required to pass through customs. I can sneak in, deal with Mr. Guzman, and sneak back out with no one being the wiser. Your interference last night has brought to much attention here so I figure you owe me passage to Los Angeles."

"Try Greyhound." Jonathan's tone was harsh. He knew he had to stay calm to figure a way out of this predicament but the gun aimed at Jennifer was making him crazy. Fortunately, he had seen last night just how cool and collected she was under pressure. Whatever opportunity presented itself he knew she would back him up. "The disturbance last night was your doing?"

"An associate of mine. I paid him enough to guarantee his loyalty but he thought he could negotiate a better deal. He won't be negotiating with anyone else. I would hate for history to repeat itself, Mr. Hart. You will sail back to Marina Del Rey, where I will take my leave of you. You will do as you are told and I will not be forced to spoil Miss Edwards' pretty face."

"If you touch her I'll kill you." For the time being Jonathan remained watchful. There wasn't much any of them could do until they were closer to Los Angeles and the marina. But throughout the journey, he was watching the druglord carefully. He studied how the man moved, noticed how he favored his right side just a little, most likely an injury sustained in his flight from Mexico. A couple of times he noticed Jennifer was also sizing up their captor. She caught Jonathan's eye and touched her right knee with a tiny nod.

The marina was visible off the starboard side and the harbor was filled with brightly colored spinnakers catching the wind and flying across the waves when Jonathan felt the time was right to make their move. Over the past few hours, Garcia had relaxed his guard a bit believing he was getting his way. He was seated along the aft railing with his face turned up to the sun, Jonathan's Sig Sauer tucked into his waistband. Jennifer glanced at Jonathan and saw what he had in mind.

"Mr. Garcia?" She put just a touch of a tremble in her voice and 'El Mayo' turned to his left to face her. With his right side exposed Jonathan rushed him, coming in low to hit that weak knee. The two men grappled and the gun skittered across the deck, spinning to a stop at Jennifer's feet. There was a loud shriek as Jonathan stood up, leveraging Garcia up over the rail and into the water. Jennifer tossed a life preserver down after him and they towed him, cursing and sputtering, into the dock.  
Chapter Seven  
When the police had taken Garcia away and left the boat Jonathan asked Jennifer to stay behind a little bit longer.  
Sure, do you need help putting her up?" She asked him curiously.

"No. It's just that this boat is where we became an us. I don't want to leave here without making love to you in this bed. We can go back to the house tomorrow but you are the only woman I have ever invited onto my boat and I want our first time to be here." Jennifer smiled at the sweetly romantic gesture and she hooked a finger into the collar of his dark blue polo shirt. Walking backward she led him belowdecks and down the corridor to his cabin. She walked him to the chair in the corner and pushed him backward until he sat down heavily.

"Now don't move until I tell you to." She spoke seriously but her eyes were dancing with glee. He had a huge smile on his face as she unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off but when she put on another of his clean pajama shirts over her bra his grin faltered somewhat.

Jennifer merely kissed him on the nose and backpedaled beyond the reach of his hands. She stretched her arms behind her back, fiddling around for a moment. Then she slid her left hand up inside her right sleeve and then repeated the process on the left. This time when her right hand backed out of the sleeve Jonathan was stunned to see her bra was now dangling from her fingertips. She held it up teasingly for a few seconds then dropped it in his lap. Her deck shoes were toed off one by one so she could wiggle slowly out of the skin-tight jeans that had been distracting him all day. Jonathan's patience was sorely tested when her hands disappeared once more under the hem of his shirt only to reappear a few seconds later with her thumbs hooked in her tiny pink panties. He looked so cute trying to sneak a glance down her shirt when she bent over to step out of them.

She backed away from him to pose herself on his bed once more. Their bed he amended to himself. It would never be just his ever again. She had chosen his royal blue pajama top this time and her pale, freckled skin almost glowed against the black duvet. She tugged her hair tie loose and the cloud of auburn settled into soft curls on her shoulders. A faint smell of gardenias remained in the air and sharp-eyed Jonathan spotted her tube of gardenia scented body lotion on the dresser next to her phone and he had an idea.

He cued up her music app and scrolled through her playlist searching for a particular song. Jonathan had near-perfect recall and he remembered a song Lorene was thinking about covering for her next album. It had originally been a huge hit and he was confident Jennifer would have it on her phone. He smiled triumphantly and tapped a couple of icons when he found it then laid the device back down. The first notes of Garth Brooks' Shameless began just as he sat on the big bed next to her.

She snuggled into his arms much the same as she had the first night they spent in this bed, but neither of them intended this night to end as innocently as that one had. Jennifer still marveled at the combination of circumstances that brought them to this place. She knew now that she had been ready to love this man from the first moment she saw him and she sent a little prayer of thanks heavenward for her mother who had taught her that twenty seconds of insane courage could change her life. Some people are tattooed on your soul and her heart had recognized his as if they had been joined in a thousand previous lifetimes.

Jonathan tilted his head closer to her, their faces only inches apart, breath passing back and forth between them. There was nothing stopping them from bringing their lips together except the knowledge that this would be the last first time for both of them and they wanted to savor every second.

Their lips touched briefly. Once, twice, three times. Then Jonathan took her face tenderly in his big hands and pressed his mouth to hers as if he would never get enough of kissing her. The way she arched her body into his touch, the feel of her hands on his skin. If last night he had been a supplicant worshipping her, then today it was as if something had awakened in both of them and it would never sleep again.

Her lips parted slightly and he felt the hot, rough-velvet touch of her tongue on his open mouth. She was bold, fencing with him, claiming his mouth until he couldn't remember a time before her kiss. She fit so perfectly into his arms, against his body. He couldn’t believe he had ever thought her too tall. All he wanted was all of her, forever. Her kiss was like a shot of whiskey, strong and smooth and dark. And just like whiskey, it had the power to knock him down. He was falling down an endless flight of stairs. Tumbling and spinning and landing at last, the wind knocked out of him but somehow ending up exactly where he meant to be all along. He wanted to disappear into this kiss and never be found again.

Jennifer was addicted to his slow drugging kisses. To his touch on her skin. He was gentle when she wanted, and strong when she needed, and somehow he knew the difference, She had already fallen in love with the way he could make love to her with just his eyes. The way he looked into her and laid her soul bare. He found all of her sharp, broken edges and knit the jagged pieces back together. She knew that if she did only one thing right in her life it would be giving her heart to this man. And maybe she had loved him in a past life, maybe they had promised to find each other again and again throughout time. Maybe there was no such thing as time or history. Maybe this moment was all there was and they were holding eternity in their kiss.

She took his hand in hers and slipped it inside the unbuttoned shirt she wore. His big hand covered her breast completely and the heat from it nearly scorched her skin as he dragged his hand up to her shoulder, pushing the shirt off of her. The soft cotton now carried her scent and he nuzzled into it, imprinting the delicate perfume on his brain.

"I want you." He whispered against her neck but she heard every syllable "I want your scent on my skin, your taste on my lips. I want the feel of you in my hands. I want it all, tonight." In his words, she found the desire she had thought she was lacking. Somehow she knew she could spend a lifetime making love to him and it would never be enough. She would give him anything to keep his hands, his mouth, on her. She would give him everything. He had already given her the one thing she needed most. He made her feel desired and cherished. With him, she didn't feel cold or less-than and she dragged her nails through the rough mat of hair that covered his chest, glorying at his sharp inhale.

Chapter Eight  
It was the warrior queen who moved to straddle his lap. Her lips burned across his skin like a midnight cigarette. She loved him because she could be herself in all the ways that others would never see. Jonathan almost felt sorry for Elliott. The poor bastard had his chance with this magnificent woman and didn't know how to love her. He never even knew what he was throwing away with both hands. Only Jonathan's thin cotton pants and boxer briefs stood between them now. After the interruption last night and the night before he had to fight the urge to hurry. It felt like he had been waiting years for her. It was hard to fathom that it had been less than a week since that fateful morning in Albuquerque.

Jennifer leaned forward, kissing him deeply again, her fingers threaded in his hair.

" I'm glad you suggested we spend one more night on board." She murmured. "I feel like Lauren Bacall sailing to Key Largo with Humphrey Bogart. Well, that and I'm not sure how comfortable I would be making love to you knowing Max was in the house." She knew how close Jonathan was to Max, he believed he owed the older man everything for getting him off of the self-destructive path he'd been on. Max had gotten him into college and advised him to join the Navy afterward. She would never make Jonathan choose between them, but it would take a little getting used to, knowing he was around.

"There's no Max," Jonathan murmured against her skin. "There's no one in the whole world. Just the two of us, on this deserted island all alone." She reached down to remove the last of his clothing and they shared an awkward moment struggling with his pants and shorts while they were still kissing. Jennifer pitched back and forth just like the boat, balancing across his lap as he kicked and squirmed, finally dragging his feet free of the offending garments. She was quickly learning that there was a huge difference between sex with Elliott and making love with Jonathan, a grand canyon of difference. This wasn't something she could take or leave it, there was no room for ambivalence with Jonathan.

He was looking in her eyes when he moved to fit himself inside her and he paused for just a second waiting for her nod that she was ready for him to continue. It was a move that would be repeated thousands of times over the course of their marriage. Always that tiny pause, not proceeding unless she was ready. It was that pause that made all the difference, that said they weren't just satisfying their bodies, they were connecting on every level.

And now, skin on skin at last, she moved over him, glorying in the way he filled her. Not just her body, but he seemed to fit himself into the cracks and broken places until she felt like she'd never been broken at all. Their hands were everywhere, touching, exploring, learning. Her eyes were huge pools of velvety black with only the thinnest ring of whiskey fire at the edges. He was drowning in them when she began to come apart in his arms and he followed her, chasing passion into the night.

In the hushed grey light before dawn, Jonathan hovered on the knife’s edge between sleep and waking, suddenly afraid it had all been a dream. He reached out his arm like Moses parting the sea, desperate to feel her, to reassure himself it was real, she was his, forever. But his questing fingers found her, warm and sleepy and wrapped around a pillow. When he touched her arm she turned over in her sleep and snuggled her body around his with a contented sigh, and Jonathan slept again.

"How soon can we get married?" He asked her over their breakfast plates. Jennifer had already decided that she was going to enjoy having Max around if it meant huevos rancheros for breakfast. Jonathan had brought her back to the house so they could break the news to him and work out some of the details.

"When do you want to do it?" She responded, dribbling a little more sauce onto her eggs and spearing a slice of avocado.

"Every minute of every day." His eyebrows flashed up and his eyes twinkled at her.

"Jonathan..." Her crimson cheeks made him laugh but Max pretended not to have heard and continued pouring coffee.

"Okay, if we can't do it today how about this weekend?"

"Jonathan, what's your hurry?" She leaned in toward him and lowered her voice. "I know we didn't discuss it last night, but I'm on the pill, you don't need to worry about a shotgun wedding." She was learning how to tease him and he smiled at the gentle jab.

"It's just that I always lose the people I love. Everything is better with you." He rubbed his thumb slowly across her full lips, leaning even closer towards her. "Can I borrow a kiss? I promise to give it back." His kiss tasted of green chile and coffee, a not unpleasant combination.

"Well how about two weeks from Saturday? I'll have to call Eva, I hope she can get a flight on such short notice." She mused quietly to herself.

"Darling, you choose the date and whom you want there. I'll send the jet for anyone you want." He kissed the top of her head as he stood to clear the table.

"Jonathan, there is one thing I would like to discuss. This house is amazing, Max is wonderful, and I can work from Bel Air just as easily as New York. But I would like to be married in my father's house. I mean have the wedding at Hill Haven Community Church and the reception at Pa's.

"When I was a little girl my mother would always talk about how much she was going to love seeing me come down the stairs in my wedding gown and having a reception under the old magnolia tree in the yard." A smile broke like the dawn across her face as a sudden memory resurfaced. "Once, when I was only five or six, she let me wear her veil to play wedding. We had a tea party reception under that tree, just the two of us. She won't get to see me in my gown but having the reception there will make me feel like a little bit of her is with me."

"Of course, Darling. Susanne sounds like an amazing woman, I wish I could have known her. I want you to have whatever kind of wedding you want. I just want to be married to you."


End file.
